Display stand



LEVINSQN DISPLAY STAND June 25 1 2 Sheets-.5 5 2 Filed Sept. 13, 1961 INVENTQK/ NEVILLE uzvmsow 3,094,951 DISPLAY STAND Neville Levinson, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Neville Enterprises, Inc., Buffalo, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 137,834 3 Claims. (Cl. 108-103) My invention concerns a novel display stand which is intended to be used primarily in the display of merchandise to theconsumer in an attractive eye catching manher.

One object of my invention is to provide a display stand made of sectional shelving, mounted on top of each other, in which the separate uni-ts interlock, one with the other, so that the purchaser may build his own stand with as many or as few shelves as may suit his needs.

While one of the shelves may quite adequately serve as a base for my stand, it is another object of my invention to provide a separate base for the built up stand.

Another object of my invention is to provide the base with a turntable on which the stacked shelves may rest and be revolved.

The stacked shelves can be revolved by conventional mechanical means or manually. As mechanical revolving does not form part of the present invention, I propose to show it in its simplest form wherein it is revolved manually.

Some of the advantages which reside in this new display stand are as follows:

(1) a display stand which can be readilypassembled or dismantled for convenient storage;

(2) a display stand which can be arranged with any desired number of shelves;

(3) a display stand which can be elevated by means of a base for consumer convenience;

(4) -a display stand which may be manually or mechanically revolved for accessability to the rearmost areas of the individual shelves;

(5) a display stand which presents an area of shelf space greatly in excess to the floor area occupied by the base;

(6) a display stand which is economical to manufacture.

For a clear understanding of my invention and the preferred manner in which it is constructed, I would refer now to the appended drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled display stand showing one shelf of the several shelving units stacked on the base.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the assembled display stand.

FIG. 3 is a vertical section on a reduced scale on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 with a second shelf partially shown, and stacked on the upper end of the first shelf.

The material I have used in my construction is plastic which is molded by conventional means into the desired forms. Of course, other materials such as wood, metal, compressed carboard, and the like could be used with equal efiect.

The base, indicated generally by the numeral 10, has side walls 11 which support a flat top surface 12. The top surface 12 is formed with a central bore 13 of substantial diameter. symmetrically spaced radially from the central bore, there are at least four uniform depressions 14 adapted to receive ball bearings 15, the depressions being of a size that the bearings will project slightly above the top surface. The bore 13 may be provided with a sleeve 16 forming a bearing surface. The sleeve 16 is held in the bore by a retaining shoulder 17 at the base of the bore.

The embodiment illustrated is constructed so that the shelf units can be rotated on the base. Therefore, the base 10 is provided with a turntable 18 having a tubular post 19 depending centrally from the underside of the turntable. The outside diameter of the post 19 is slightly less than the inside diameter of the sleeve 16 to provide clearance between the same. The tubular post 19 is internally threaded to receive a flange-headed screw 20 which will overlap the sleeve 16. The opposite face of the turntable is provided with a substantial, rectangular projection 21.

Each shelf unit, generally indicated by the numeral 22, consists of a substantially fiat tray base 23, the tray having a retaining rim 24 about its perimeter. The tray is also formed with a vertical column 25 which, preferably, rises centrally and upwardly fromthe rim of the tray dividing the tray base into two sections. The column may be of any desired height, as may be the dimensions of the tray, but I believe that a desirable height is approximately 18 in order that merchandise may be effectively displayed.

A substantial portion of the uppermost area of the column, preferably about 3 /2" of the height, is proportionately reduced in size so that the column 25 is provided with a shoulder 26. The so reduced portion presenting the column with a projection 27.

In molding the shelves, I have allowed that the entire column be hollow and channelled internally to dimensions slightly greater than the external dimensions of the pro jection 27 which, incidentally, are the same dimensions as the projection 21. The channel forms a projection receiving socket 28. While the socket 28 of the column of my invention extends the height of the column, the socket need only be to a height, or depth, equal to the distance between the shoulder 26 and the top of the projection 27 or the projection 21.

As shown in the drawings, each broad side of the column 25 is provided with a buttress 28 to provide additional support and stability to the column and also to provide a further division of the tray.

To assemble my invention, the base 10 is positioned,

as desired, on the floor and the ball bearings 15 deposited in the depressions 14. The sleeve '16, if needed, is positioned within the bore 13 and held therein by tight frictional engagement or the retaining shoulder 17 at the base of the bore 13. The turntable 18 is then secured to the base by positioning the tubular project-ion 19 within the sleeve 16 of the bore 13, the latter two elements now acting as a bearing for the former two elements. A flange-headed plugatype screw 20 is then screwed into the tubular projection 19 to prevent the turntable from being inadvertently removed from the base. As now positioned, the bottom face of the turntable is resting on the bearings and free to rotate thereon.

A shelf is now added to the turntable and base by placing the socket 29 of the vertical column 25 over the rectangular projection 21 of the turntable. A second shelf may be added by placing the socket 29 of the vertical column of the second shelf over the projection 27 of the first column. Within reasonable limits, additional shelves may be added in a like manner to produce the assembled displayed stand shown generally as 30 in the drawings.

It is preferable to provide a cap 31 or cap-like advertising banner to cover the projection 27 of the last placed shelf and thereby add to the overall attractiveness of the display stand.

While I have described a specific modification of my Patented June 25, 1963 invention it is quite within the realm of those skilled in the art to realize other modifications of this invention and, therefore, I intend to include such other modifications in my appended claims.

What I claim as'new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a sectional display stand, a shelf comprising a tray base and a substantially broad vertical column rising centrally therefrom, a projection on one end of the column and a projection receiving socket on the other end, said projection and socket forming complemental intertting parts whereby a plurality of like shelves may be interconnected and supported in superimposed relationship, a base and a turntable carried by the base, the lowermost shelf of said plurality of shelves, the turntable and the base being interconnected by complemental mating elements consisting of interfitting projections and sockets separately and correspondingly located in the base, the turntable and the lowermost shelf.

2. In a display stand according to claim 1 in which said base is provided with a plurality of depressions in its top surface receiving ball bearings which project above the top surface and against the bottom surface of the turntable.

3. In a display stand according to claim 1, and wherein the mating means of the base is female and said mating means is provided with a sleeve forming .a bearing surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 173,469 Aronson Nov. 15, 1954 1,378,965 Lube May 24, 1921 1,882,497 Jarvis Oct. 11, 1932 2,678,143 I Dillingham May 11, 1954 2,750,051 Wassell June 12, 1956 2,902,174 Audsley Sept. 1, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 733,076 Great Britain July 6, 1955 

1. IN A SECTIONAL DISPLAY STAND, A SHELF COMPRISING A TRAY BASE AND A SUBSTANTIALLY BROAD VERTICAL COLUMN RISING CENTRALLY THEREFROM, A PROJECTION ON ONE END OF THE COLUMN AND A PROJECTION RECEIVING SOCKET ON THE OTHER END, SAID PROJECTION AND SOCKET FORMING COMPLEMENTAL INTERFITTING PARTS WHEREBY A PLURALITY OF LIKE SHELVES MAY BE INTERCONNECTED AND SUPPORTED IN SUPERIMPOSED RELATION- 